Michael Viney answers readers' questions.
Bumblebees happily fill my garden every year, but this year, to my dismay, they seem diseased, clearly disoriented and wobbling around as if drunk.
Eileen Byrne, Dublin
Bumblebees are prey to many ills which can only be determined by close examination. They can become intoxicated and die from the toxins produced in the nectar of some plants especially lime trees, weakened by infestation with various mites, hosts for the eggs of several canopid flies.
I saw two bumblebees wrestling inside a bloom. The larger bee was holding the smaller one down. The struggle continued for about 10 minutes. The smaller bee then managed to extricate himself and flew away none the worse for wear. The remaining bee then dusted himself off and continued gathering pollen.
Michael Powell, Dalkey, Co Dublin
You may have witnessed someting rarely seen: bumblebees mating. The smaller bee would be the female.
On the evening of St Swithin's Day seagulls, gliding home over Dalkey, flew sporadically like swallows, as if they were trying to catch flies.
Bob Curran, Dalkey, Co Dublin
The gulls were feasting on ants on their nuptial flight. In summer the worker ants rear males and queens, all with wings, but keep them underground until the time of the nuptial flight. The triggers for the nuptial flights are climatic, including high humidity. The males die soon afterwards, but the mated queens return to earth, rub off their wings and go back underground, there to lay eggs for the next 10 or 20 years.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E-mail: viney@anu.ie Observations sent by e-mail should be accompanied by a postal address.